10 Years of Imprisonment
by JeveGreen
Summary: Tails and his friends have returned to Mobius after having defeated the metarex, but after two years of relative peace something goes wrong and Tails will find his life to be turned upside down...
1. Prologue

_It's been two years since she disappeared from my life… I could never have dreamed that I would live long enough to say those words back then. But then again, I had something to support me at that time. A small memento of our love, and of her life… A flower, grown from the white seed found at the site of her death. Blooming in the most beautiful colours… Every day it seemed to differ… That's why I called it, simply "Rainbow"._

_This story is about how Rainbow nearly killed me…_

_In case you haven't heard of me before: My name is Miles Prower, or Tails as my friends call me for two, rather obvious reasons. Aside from my publications on machinery, I also held a supportive role in one of our most terrible conflicts in recent history: The Metarex War, in which an alien race of plant-based lifeforms attempted to conquer our universe and enslave its population. Though nearly successful, a small group of heroes from Mobius, including myself, managed to defeat their forces. But it was a terrible battle, and victory came with a heavy toll…_

_Cosmo Sunflower, the young woman who forewarned us of the metarex threat, is more commonly known as the Martyr today. Her final role in the battle against the metarex was to sacrifice her life so that we may be victorious._

…_Needless to say, she had become a very close friend of mine during our travels. To see her give her life for us was difficult to say the very least. After our bittersweet return to Mobius I struggled with my role in her death, having been the one to deal the final blow which destroyed both her and the metarex generals… I could speak endlessly about my feelings in those earliest of days, but I always had Rainbow to comfort me back then, so it was nothing I couldn't handle…_

_But things were not to remain in control for long. Two years passed from that terrible day, and I found myself fighting for more than just my life…_


	2. Chapter 1

"Tails!" Sonic the Hedgehog is Tails' adoptive older brother and best friend. While commonly regarded as a superhero for his amazing speed and agility, he's still carefree and relaxed whenever danger isn't present.

Danger, however, was quite present at the moment, after a fire had been sparked in his brother's home.

Rushing down the door, Sonic found himself in an inferno. The entire first floor of Tails' house had caught on fire and the flames were spreading up the stairs.

Rushing through the searing heat and flames, Sonic searched vigorously for Tails on the first floor without result. Thankful that Tails wasn't anywhere in the flames, he then rushed upstairs.

Spreading quickly, the flames now licked the open doorways of the second floor. The flow of air was aided by a broken front door and open windows, and it was all Sonic could do to keep himself from being burnt by the embers and the heat.

"Tails! Where on Mobius are ya?!" he yelled, hoping for a response.

A weak cough could be heard from inside the bedroom. Sonic had rushed inside before the sound even broke up. He found his brother on the floor, semi-conscious and with his fur singed by the flames. He rushed over to pick him up when he heard him whisper something under his breath.

"Rain… -bow…"

Realising the subconscious request, Sonic looked to the window stand, where Rainbow should be placed. He saw it… The entire window was engulfed by flames and embers. The flower was long beyond saving…

"Rain… -bow…" Tails kept repeating the flower's name, even as Sonic rushed across the second floor, trying to find an untouched window. Fortunately the bathroom had yet to catch on fire, and relief was found in the small window above the sink.

The landing was clumsy to say the least, and Sonic found himself on his side with Tails coming along down on his left arm. Grinning in pain, Sonic could still hear in the distance how an emergency crew was approaching, but he needed to get himself and Tails away from the house in case the fire spread outside. He tried to lift Tails up again, but a snap followed by a searing pain in his arm spoke for itself. He'd not be able to get them both out of there like this… not unless this was simply the case of a suddenly developed, new joint in his arm.

Hearing a cracking sound above them, it was all he could do to cover himself up as the bathroom window broke under the heat and shards of glass fell down towards them. In the meantime Tails had slowly come to, and was opening his eyes just as a large shard of glass fell towards his face…

_Needless to say, it was a painful experience in all ways imaginable. It was a while until I learned that I would be permanently blind on my right eye, but much sooner it came to my attention that Rainbow had been burned to cinders…_

_The loss of an eye I could take, I still had another one which worked fine. In fact when I heard about my eye I didn't really think that much about it. I had deeper concerns than partial blindness when my heart had just been ripped out and turned to ash…_

_Following was a period of deep depression and isolation which lasted for a few years. I put blame on Sonic for not having saved Rainbow and publicly disowned him right there in the hospital bed… He wasn't very happy about it and I wouldn't see him again for a long time, or any of my other friends for that matter. When everyone heard of how I treated Sonic after he saved my life… well, I wasn't the most popular guy in the block anymore. In fact, I might have been as popular as a creepy janitor back then… and I had the life to live up to it as well, dirty, beat and living in a ruin._

_But dust aside… I sought ways to deal with my sorrow now that I had neither my old friends nor Rainbow left to support me. I tried everything I knew of; I cut myself, I drank, I even tried hiring a prostitute… I knew I wouldn't find solace in religion, and these sinful pleasures did little to take my mind off things. My depression worsened every day that went by, until I considered suicide…_

_But there was still one thing I hadn't tried… Something I had saved as a last resort to deal with myself… And as three years had passed since the fire and I was nearly thirteen years of age, I would start my last ditch effort to deal with life…_

_In retrospect, perhaps death would've been preferable to the road I chose…_


	3. Chapter 2

"Oi kid! Whatcha doin' 'round 'ere? Don't ya know trouble's lurkin'?"

A very skinny creature, Jeve was a simple dealer in illegal goods and had never seen Tails in person before this day. But as Tails turned his face toward him, revealing a medical eye patch covering his right eye, even Jeve could recognise this disgraced celebrity.

"Well now… Thought it'd be weird of a normal kid t'wander 'ere. But then again, y'ain't normal, are ya Patch?"

"You got surplus?" Tails asked, frowning as he spoke and with his ears keeping a keen lookout for any weird noises. He didn't want to appear it, but he was scared out of his wits being alone in the slums of Station Square.

"Oh you ain't bustin' me Patch. I've got more lead than's needed t'turn ya into a dartboard."

"I'm not interested in busting up anyone. I want to buy."

Eyeing Tails suspiciously, Jeve listened in for any weird noises in case this was some sort of bluff.

"…I don't know why I think ye're tellin' truth Patch, but if ya try n' trick me ye'll wish ya were."

Motioning for Tails to follow him, Jeve led them into a dark alleyway. Upon reaching a dead end, he then told Tails to stay and wait there for him. After a few minutes of waiting, Tails heard steps coming towards him…

"Good kid" Jeve said as he returned with some sort of suitcase. He put it on the ground and opened it up, revealing a variety of crudely labelled bags and bottles. "Whatcha lookin' for Patch? I got a bit of each."

"I'll take the heaviest stuff you've got…"

Jeve shook his head at Tails. "I can't do that. Ye'd OD 'fore ya could say "trip" if ya tried that shait."

"How would you know?"

"'Cause I know me customers Patch. You ain't someone used t'shootin' 'emselves, know what I mean?"

"Why do you care anyway? You're just a dealer."

"I care 'cause I deal Patch… No customers means no cash, e'en for a dealer. That's 'ow capitalism works, y'know."

"How considerate of you…"

"Yea'-yea', ye're 'ere fer a reason yerself kid! Now let's see… If ya want the 'eaviest "safe" stuff that ain't cheap."

"Money isn't a problem…" Tails showed a hundred-mollar bill to Jeve. "…as you can see."

"Careful who ya flash for Patch. Wouldn't want t'get banged for a buck, eh? Heh heh…" Snapping the bill from Tails' hand, Jeve picked a bag of powder out from his suitcase and handed it over. "Try this on: Servin's done through the nose, or y'all can inject yerself with a needle if ya 'eat it first, gets into the system quicker that way."

"Huh? How can I inject myself if I eat the product?"

Jeve rolled his eyes. "I said 'eat, as in warm… Get used t'the language Patch, it ain't gettin' be'er."

"Right… if I meet you again that is."

"Oh sure ya will Patch! Green's Groceries can be found in this alleyway any night. Just don't bring bacon, or I'll see ya fried."

"Oh I'm not feeling hungry, so I think I'll pass…"

"Good kid. Also, ye're the first I've 'ad t'tell this to, but don't tell yer friends 'bout us either. Might bring the blues…"

Letting out a sigh and a sad frown, Tails shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I haven't got any friends…"

Jeve raised his eyebrows curiously, and then immediately let out a cocky smirk at Tails. "That so, huh? Well, 'ow 'bout I be yer friend then?"

Tails shrugged his shoulders. "If you insist. Just don't expect any pleasantries from me… I haven't got any to spare."

"Long as ya got cash t'spare, that's good 'nough fer me…!"

…_It could only go downwards from here. In three years' time I'd turned from an adored hero to a generally disliked junkie… I thought the drugs would be a way out… but every time their effect died down I was back in the same pit as before… and to make things worse, the addiction that followed was a costly one. While my career had brought me plenty in the past, I was now losing customers almost as quickly as my sanity…_

_I was forced to become something I'd fought against to support myself; a hoodlum… I constructed a homemade gun and mugged creatures with it. In time Jeve's nickname for me became my new alias… Of course I would always make sure to cover up my identity while performing robberies, and I never even had to fire the accursed thing. I was certainly not very happy with my life back then, but I didn't really give a damn by that point. The drugs were all that mattered to me. I almost even forgot why I was so sad in the first place…_

_After three years of this, I even forgot who my earlier friends had been…_


	4. Chapter 3

"Be quiet and hand it over lady…" Patch told his latest victim as he grappled and pulled her into an alleyway.

"P-please sir… I've only got pocket change…" the young woman responded in a frightened voice.

"Then empty 'em and drop it on the ground, quickly…" Patch ordered the woman, letting go only after he was sure she couldn't run from him.

The woman, a mobian rabbit or hare, was wearing some sort of old-fashioned, red dress with a bow-tie covering the bust. Her straight, brown hair reached down past her shoulders and the bangs partially covered her face, though Patch could still see enough of it to know his scare tactics worked.

The woman shivered violently as she turned out the pockets on her dress, the tinkle of coins hitting the ground perking up Patch's ears beneath his hood.

"Th-that's it…" she said after a while, backing away.

"Not yet lady… I still have to count 'em."

Patch holstered his gun to his side, before crouching over and starting to pick up the coins. However, being distracted by the coins and with the hood blocking his view somewhat, he failed to notice how the woman reproached him…

"Hiya!"

Before he could react, Patch was flung on his back by a kick to the face. Soon the woman jumped on top of him, struggling to keep him pinned.

"Get off me!" he shouted, tossing the woman to his side. But while trying to get back up, he was tackled down and pinned on his face.

"I'll see you put in jail for this you bandit!" she shouted at Patch, reaching for his gun.

Patch reacted quickly, however, and let one of his tails escape from his disguise. He used his extra limb to slug the woman off his back, and then quickly got to his feet.

"You gotta try harder than that to get me lady!" Patch shouted, kicking at the stunned woman's gut and knocking the air out of her. He pulled out his gun again, but let the trigger rest… He had another idea for this girl.

"You look pretty girl… But since you're so cheap, I guess the least I can do in return is give you a cheap shot. What say you?!" he threatened the woman.

"D-don't shoot me… please… I-I'll do anything you ask me" she begged him in return.

"Anything I say? Well, how about I spare your skin… and in return you show it to me…"

"Wh-what…?"

"Are you daft? Get on your feet and undress!"

It was Patch's way of reinforcing his reputation. Anyone who resisted him would have to undress in front of him. It was humiliating, but not physically harmful…

While fierce in a fight, this girl wasn't quite as much of a chore to watch however. While Patch had his doubts about most of his victims, he couldn't help but enjoy the sight of this young, fit bunny, as she first removed her footwear, then her dress with its accessories, and then finally moved her hands behind herself to remove her bra…

"Wh-what are you going to do to me…?" she asked in a weak voice.

"Depends on what I see…"

Patch had never raped any of his victims, as alluring as it might've been at times. Even some of the more attractive women who resisted him were left (mostly) untouched. But there was something about this particular girl which made Patch sweat as she let her top slide down, and she covered her bust with her arms.

"…If I don't see it all, you'll wish you'd showed it to me." Patch had shamelessly copied most of his intimidation phrases from Jeve, although his victims didn't seem to mind the copyright issue very much. They were more concerned with being ripped off… or being forced to rip off, as in this case.

The woman gritted her teeth and tensed her entire body… She was terrified of this robber, but she wasn't willing to diminish her modesty on his command.

"Show me… Show me now!" Patch shouted at the woman, aiming the gun towards her.

While unwilling to bare flesh at mere threats, the woman wasn't as reluctant when the alternative was made of lead… Though tense as branches, she forced her arms down, revealing her not so modest breasts to Patch…

He smiled to himself, nodding in approval. "Good… Very good… Now take off your underwear."

"No, please…" the woman pleaded.

"Take them off at once, or I'll take them off myself and shove them into your mouth…"

The woman shut her eyes and turned her head away in disgust… She felt her arms acting on their own, seemingly not sure whether they should follow the gunman's orders or not…

"Or would you rather I shove something else in your mouth?!"

Her hands almost flew to her sides, slapping against her thighs with a clasp… She took a deep breath, moved her thumbs up to the straps, grasped hold… and yanked them down, turning sideways as she did.

Patch wasn't impressed with the acrobatics. "…Show me."

The woman was about to burst into tears from shame… Her sobbing and sniffling made Patch feel a lump in his throat.

"Gaia's mercy woman, don't do that!" he said, walking up towards her.

"No! Don't come near me you pervert…!"

Patch ignored her pleading, walking up in front of her. He looked at her from top to toe, admiring every little hair on her furry body… The woman's toes curled up, along with just about everything else on and in her… She glanced at Patch, only to close her eyes shut at seeing him look at her like so.

"P-please… You've seen me now… Please let me go now…"

"Well, I should let you go… But from what I see, I find it hard to let you slip away…"

Sobbing wildly, the woman was sure she was about to get raped…

"…Tell me your name girl."

She shook her head.

"Just tell me your name already. Let's not make it a difficult process… I would like to know the name of someone so gorgeous."

"Just stop it, please! It's shameful as it is…"

"Tell me your name, beautiful, or I might compliment you even more… I might even get _lewd_…"

"Stop it! Fine… I'll tell you my name…"

"…I'm waiting love."

Shivering all over, the woman looked up at Patch with teary eyes. "My name is Cream…"

Patch felt like if he'd been hit by a tonne of bricks… He knew this girl… She'd been one of his friends, back at the war… back when he was still Tails.

"Cream…" Patch didn't know what to do… He couldn't just apologize, there was no forgiving this behaviour! …but he couldn't just let her go. "Shit! Damn it…! This isn't good…"

"Wh-what is it…?"

"Why did it have to be you…? Couldn't it have been someone else, anyone else?!"

"Why are you-? Wait… I recognise your voice from somewhere… You're… No… No it couldn't be…"

Patch looked at Cream with cold eyes. The years had been generous to her. She must've been about 14 now, but she looked like she was older, in a good way… If she hadn't said her name, Patch might never have realised who she was. But as things were, he'd have to think of something, fast!

"…From what I see, and hear, you'll have to come with me."

"It is you Tails, isn't it…?"

Tails stomped the ground beneath himself. "Tails is dead Cream! My name is Patch now…"

"Patch… Why are you doing this…?"

"Money… I've got stuff to cover, and fixing stuff up isn't quite enough."

Cream put her hand on Patch's shoulder. "Why didn't you ask me for help? I…"

"…You could've helped me? I hardly think so…" Patch shook loose from Cream's hold and turned away from her. "Remember that fire six years ago, when I lost Rainbow? Everything was wrecked for me in that instant… No one could help me, nothing could be done… and there still can't…"

Cream had began putting her clothes back on as Tails had turned away from her. She looked past him… She could easily escape. …But what about Tails? He might do this again to someone else… He needed help, desperately.

"Tails please… Don't do this to yourself… You needn't suffer these hurts. Just come with me and I can get you some help… Please…"

Patch looked back at Cream… She had put her underwear back on, so he felt no shame in watching her. But he also had his suspicions about her motives to deal with… "What sort of help? Police? Rehabilitation? I have no need for those people! They'll just label me a criminal or a junkie… and I don't want to be seen as either."

"But, Tails…"

"I'm not that creature anymore Cream! I'm Patch; the guy who forces creatures to drop their wallets or drop their pants for a living! Don't try to reason with me, or I will steal your clothes as well…"

"…Do you really want to do that Patch?"

"Don't tempt me Cream, or I will do it…" Patch made his point clear by cocking the pistol.

Cream's eyes widened at the sound of the gun cocking. Upset, she walked up and grabbed it, ripping it from Patch's limp hands… She saw right through his bluff. "Patch… You're a miserable, broken creature. Leave my friend alone! He doesn't want you in his head!"

"That's enough with the psychology Cream! I need something, anything, to hold me in check. You can't help me, no one else but Patch can."

"Is he really helping you? Look at yourself! You're mugging creatures under gunpoint, and you force them to undress in front of you if they don't comply!"

"…I-I have no choice… I can't- I can't deal with it alone…"

"You're not alone Tails… Please, let go of him… Trust me… I don't want you to hurt anymore… Let me help you!"

"You can't help me Cream… No one can…"

"…What of Patch's price? Is it worth it? Is it worth living in such conditions? Do you want to live like this? Do you want to hurt creatures?!"

"No! I don't…! But I can't just die…" Beginning to sob, Patch looked away from Cream. "Though, maybe I should…"

Cream's jaw dropped at hearing him say these words. "Tails…! What sort of grief could make you even consider that?"

"Isn't it obvious…? Don't you remember me at all? The adventures we shared? The final frontier, with her…? Do you remember Cosmo?"

"Cosmo… Of course I remember her. We all remember her. But we don't let our grief ruin us like you have. Why would you let it ruin you?"

Pulling down his mask to reveal his dirty, scarred face, Patch glared at Cream with anger and grief mixed into one, tearful expression. So strong was the emotion he displayed that Cream stepped back merely from the intensity she felt emanating from Tails.

"…Because she became everything to me on that journey. She was the sun around which I orbited, the flower from which I blossomed, the light that dispelled the darkness around me… It was terrible to lose her… even more terrible having to kill her by my own hands…! The only things that held me up after she was gone were my friends and Rainbow. And in one dreadful night I lost all of them… There was nothing left to uphold me… No one left to seek comfort with… Everyone hated me… I even hated myself… My own inability had not only taken away Cosmo from us, but it had also taken away Rainbow, Sonic, you, everyone and everything I knew… Why me…? Why did fate have to be so cruel to me…? I have only ever done the best for everyone. I never complained or agitated even when it would've been in my full right… Why me Cream?! Why me…!"

Cream was about to say something when suddenly she saw someone across the street running away from the scene. They had been spotted!

"…Patch, you need to go, now!"

"Why me…? Please tell me… Why me…?"

"Meet me at the Ledge and I will tell you… Now go, before they catch you!"

_Eventually I pulled myself together enough to realise my situation and I made my escape… I'm not sure what Cream told those who found her later, but it makes little difference now._

_The Ledge which she referred to is a spot at Green Hill Zone which holds a beautiful sight of the surrounding area from the edge of a steep cliff. It's not a safe spot, but occasionally lovers will go there to make out as it's rather secluded. It's also a good spot for shady business, if rumour serves right._

_I went over to the Ledge the very next day, assuming Cream would be there. But I couldn't find her anywhere… I went there next day as well, but still no sign of her. Same thing the following day, and the day thereafter… After a month of going there without seeing a trace of her, I lost hope altogether…_

_But I still went there every day afterwards. Why? I didn't know… I admired the view of the forest below, and the ocean in the distance. It somehow took my mind off things unlike anything before… I eventually lost my addictions to this simple spot of beauty. It was strange, the way that the Ledge affected me…_

_A year and a half passed, and by my eighteenth birthday I was clean in every which way. But my life was about to take a turn unlike anything I'd ever experienced before… and the consequences would never be the same again._


	5. Chapter 4

Sitting at the edge of the Ledge, Tails gazed out over the lonely landscape, enjoying the serenity and silence it brought. With him were only two things: A ham sandwich for lunch, and an invention he'd spent the last year perfecting…

"Now then, let's see if you're ready…" he said to himself, picking out his invention. On the surface it looked more like a weird eye patch with wires on one side and a piece of clear glass on the other, but Tails knew better than so. This was going to be his new right eye from this moment forth! …or at least it was going to be if he'd designed it correctly.

Removing his old eye patch, revealing his empty eye socket to the landscape, Tails carefully inserted the wiring into the socket, and then fastened the patch. He waited a little to gather courage… This time he was sure he'd figured it out!

"Here we go…" Tails took a deep breath, let it out, and only then did he engage the eye patch… Tails felt how its wiring vibrated with power from his own body, before it sparked out in the lens… At first he saw nothing, but he'd expected as much. It would take a while for the brain to recognise this device as something to gather images from. He sat still for a few minutes, admiring the view with his healthy eye while waiting for his mechanical one to begin displaying images.

"It's working!" he exclaimed to himself as the first images from his new eye began appearing inside his head. "It's a blur, but it's still working!"

As soon as the first, blurred images appeared, Tails' eye began focusing. After about an additional ten minutes he could distinguish different trees in the forest below. He was ecstatic. He jumped up and down in joy at his invention's success.

"This is a breakthrough not just for me, but for so many creatures who've had their eyesight taken away from them! I just hope this'll be enough to forgive my bad choices recently…" Looking down at the forest below, Tails let out a sigh. "I wonder how many times I haven't thought about just taking the plunge… It would be interesting to find out how it feels like."

Letting out a smile like nothing he'd done since he was just a child, he felt an idea hit him to celebrate this breakthrough…

"I guess there's no better time for a jump than this."

Taking a few steps back, Tails then rushed towards the Ledge and jumped from the edge… He felt how the wind hit his face in that very moment. It was a feeling nothing short of magical… He looked out towards the ocean as he fell towards the trees below him.

"Mobius! Watch me fly!"

Tails let his namesakes spin behind him, and as his fur brushed against the leaves below he took off, darting through the foliage before his body took flight off into the sky. He cried out his ecstasy… This was his moment, and he wanted to enjoy every last second of it to the fullest.

_I'm not sure how long I flew over the forest and later the ocean. But that was probably one of the most uplifting moments of my entire life… I had finally broken free from my disability through my own efforts, and I felt like I could take on the entire world._

_But as I later returned to the Ledge, I realised that there was one thing I hadn't considered… There were still a few strings left untied. And I was about to tie them._

As he touched down at the Ledge, a familiar voice greeted him. "Welcome back, Tails."

Looking to the right, Tails saw Cream sitting at the edge. "You're here! You're finally here Cream!"

"Oh silly, I was always here. You on the other hand have been away for a long time now."

"What do you mean? I haven't gone anywhere. I've been here every day for the past year!"

"I wouldn't know about that. For a while it was Patch who came here in your stead. I could tell by the look on his face the first time I saw him… He could never find anything in a spot like this… In the end, he was the one who needed your help."

Tails looked sideways at Cream. "…So it was just a trick to "revive" me, was it?"

"Did it work?"

Tails smiled sheepishly, and nodded his head. "…I guess it did, yeah."

"I've spoken to some people about what's happened. You realise you have to pay for what you've done, don't you?"

"Yes, of course…"

"As it happens, I've been studying law since you were away, so I can tell you what'll happen. Since you were under the influence of a psychosis during the crimes you committed, namely your alter ego Patch, you will likely face some time in a mental institution. You will be free once the officials ascertain that you are legally sane. But personally, I'd say you'll pass that test relatively quick."

"…What about my victims?"

"You'll have to reimburse them of what you stole, and compensate them for the trauma you put them through."

"No, I mean… Are they alright?"

Cream smiled, happy that Tails asked the right question. "They're fine, don't worry about them."

"Good…" Tails turned and looked across the forest below them. "Hey Cream?"

"Yes?"

"I think I understand now… Why you never came, I mean… You said you'd answer my question… but you knew you had no answer for me. So instead you made me come here and figure it out myself…"

"And did you?"

"I think I did…"

"…So?"

"…In my first few days, I wondered what it would be like to just… take the plunge, walk my last step and just fall into oblivion… I thought perhaps then that I might realise what reason there was to fate, if I could ask it myself… But if I did, what if I couldn't handle the answer? What if the answer would only drive me into madness, or worse…? I realise now that, after all has been said and done, I don't need an answer… I don't even want one anymore. That can wait until I'm ready to die."

"What do you need then, Tails?"

"…I need a friend, someone who can help me."

"Someone… like Jeve?"

Tails looked over at Cream in surprise. "You know about Jeve?"

"I'd come across him a few days before our own "encounter". He was a little bit odd to deal with at first, but after I realised he knew you, and where you could be found, I struck a deal with him… A favour for a favour, you might say."

"So… It was all a part of your plan, to get mugged by me?"

"Well, I hadn't expected you to make me undress, heh… but otherwise, yes. I've been trying to help you from the start."

"…Are you sure it's law you've been studying and not psychology?"

"It's a mixture of both, actually; legal psychiatrics, to be formal. I'm planning to become a lawyer specialising in psychiatric cases. It's a very lucrative career, with plenty of opportunity."

"So this is a little like your first "case", is it detective?"

"You could say it is. Thankfully the Chaotix weren't around to steal it from me, heh heh."

"…Have you been after me ever since Patch appeared then?"

"No, I've been trying to help you from the very start, when Cosmo passed away… I knew you would need help, just like I would and all others would. Although we were both still young I could see quite clearly how her death affected us. I felt part of it myself… But I suppose I never quite understood how hard her death was on you until you confessed to me in that alleyway. You loved her like no one else, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did… and I still do…"

"Part of the blame is on me though. I should've realised it when I heard of how you treated Sonic for not having saved Rainbow. I was mean to you, we all were… We just couldn't understand how a plant could be more important than one's best friend."

"No, I guess it can be hard at a glance… Rainbow was my final memory of Cosmo, my last hope I might see her again. I know it sounds childish, but I really thought that Rainbow was Cosmo for a while. That's how I felt for her…"

"We should've been more understanding. I'm so sorry for what we've put you through Tails…"

"I'm sorry too… Not just for disowning Sonic, doing drugs and making you strip under gunpoint… I'm sorry for not realising you guys were my friends all along. I should've been better than that. I might've avoided all of this entirely. I never understood that I wasn't alone in my suffering… I should've let you help me from the start."

"Better late than never… But at least we've learnt something from all of this."

"And what is that?"

"Apparently I'm not harmful to look at, am I now?"

Tails blushed wildly as Cream swayed her body in front of him. "…Eh, no, I wouldn't say you are."

Cream giggled cutely at Tails' reaction. "You think I was embarrassed back then? Boy are you gonna feel it for the coming days!"

"I'm… looking forward to it…"

_I didn't say it back then, but I was glad that Cream could take my madness with good humour. It made me feel less bad about what I'd done to her… I was panicked back in that alleyway when I first realised it was her for more reasons than fear of recognition. I was filled with regret and disgust at realising I'd just humiliated one of my closest friends… I think it was at that point that I truly realised how low I'd sunk. And it was then that I began fighting back against Patch… Mission accomplished Cream, top marks…_

_Afterwards I did my time at the local psychiatric prison. The doctors there were amazed at my rapid recovery, but I wasn't that surprised, considering the expert help I'd received… After my release I began my effort to pay back what I had stolen, a task eased by the release of my mechanical eyes. After having reimbursed my victims, and made my sincerest apologies, I was finally truly free._

_And I remember quite well how it felt to be free again, after ten years of imprisonment…_


	6. Epilogue

_It's been two years since she disappeared from my life… I could never have dreamed that I would live long enough to say those words back then. But then again, I had something to support me at that time. A small memento of our love, and of her life… A flower, grown from the white seed found at the site of her death. Blooming in the most beautiful colours… Every day it seemed to differ… That's why I called it, simply "Rainbow"._

_This story is how Rainbow nearly killed me…_

_In case you haven't heard of me before: My name is Miles Prower, or Tails as my friends call me for two, rather obvious reasons. Aside from my publications on machinery, I also held a supportive role in one of our most terrible conflicts in recent history: The Metarex War, in which an alien race of plant-based lifeforms attempted to conquer our universe and enslave its population. Though nearly successful, a small group of heroes from Mobius, including myself, managed to defeat their forces. But it was a terrible battle, and victory came with a heavy toll…_

_Cosmo Sunflower, the young woman who forewarned us of the metarex threat, is more commonly known as the Martyr today. Her final role in the battle against the metarex was to sacrifice her life so that we may be victorious._

…_Needless to say, she had become a very close friend of mine during our travels. To see her give her life for us was difficult to say the very least. After our bittersweet return to Mobius I struggled with my role in her death, having been the one to deal the final blow which destroyed both her and the metarex generals… I could speak endlessly about my feelings in those earliest of days, but I always had Rainbow to comfort me back then, so it was nothing I couldn't handle…_

_But things were not to remain in control for long. Two years passed from that terrible day, and I found myself fighting for more than just my life…_


End file.
